


Dragon Age: Andromeda

by KitLlwynog



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual fluff and smut, F/M, It's gonna be cool, Multi, Post-Tresspasser, What if Dragon Age and Mass Effect crashed together?, eventual polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-12-23 01:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11979234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitLlwynog/pseuds/KitLlwynog
Summary: In the wake of the revelations regarding Solas's true identity and intentions, Varithara Lavellan decides to disband the Inquisition and focus her energies on turning the man she loves from his terrible goal. But as she travels back to Skyholld from Orlas with Cullen, Josephine, and Cassandra, they are captured by strange creatures that definitely don't belong in Thedas.Lyra Ryder is still trying to find her feet as Pathfinder. After victories on Eos and Kadara, she and the crew of the Tempest make preparations to go after the Archon where he lives. But while searching for missing Angaran satellites, they find a kett research vessel where it shouldn't be. Rescuing the prisoners is second nature to the Pathfinder, but little does she know that Varithara and her friends are nothing anyone in Heleus was expecting.An unlikely alliance between the Pathfinder and the former Inquisitor will have far-reaching consequences both for Thedas and for the entire Heleus cluster.





	1. Abduction

Varithara stared into the middle distance, idly rubbing the remains of her left arm. They were somewhere in Orlais, north of the Emerald Graves but south of Emprise du Lion, and the sun was shining through the trees lining the road. It was a scene she normally would have found soothing, even beautiful, but today it looked dull and gray to her eyes.

“Inquisitor?” The voice of Cassandra Pentaghast came from her right elbow, and she turned to the sound, arching her eyebrow. “I mean, Lady Lavellan…”

“Even now, you won't call me by my first name?” she asked, more fondly exasperated than angry.

“I am sorry, la- Varithara, but I believe you are deserving of respect, and if I do not show you that respect, how can I expect others to do the same? You have difficulties enough.”

It was true that even now, some nobles had the audacity to call her knife-ear to her face. But worse than that, somehow, were the well-meaning comments. The ladies in their fluttering gowns, all a-titter about how smart she was- for an elf, how brave, how beautiful, how good- despite her pointed ears. It was at times like those that Varithara understood at least part of Solas’s motivations, but upon thinking of her once lover, she scowled. “I appreciate the gesture, but you're my friend. Right now I need that more than I need a title.”

“I know,” Cassandra replied, flicking her eyes back to the road and guiding her wayward horse back to the center with a click of her tongue. “I just came to ask if you were all right. Josephine said you have not been eating well.”

Varithara let loose a bitter laugh. ”I'm as well as can be expected. It’s not every day you find out the man you love is an ancient elf with the power and inclination to destroy the world you just finished saving.”

Cassandra made a noise of disgust. “I can't believe it. Not that I mean I cannot believe you,” she amended quickly. “I cannot believe him. Just leaving was bad enough, and the lies… I suppose I could forgive, considering the situation, but to want to destroy the world? Why save you? Why help us defeat the Qunari, if he is already planning on killing us all? Nothing about it makes sense.”

“I don't know. I don't understand it any more than you do.” She had already told her friends everything that Solas had said in front of the eluvian. Well, perhaps not everything… _I would not lie with you under false pretenses… I wish it could, vhenan… My love, I will never forget you…_ but everything that mattered to the world at large. To Varithara, it said more about the contradictions in Solas’s character, his inability to choose between what he felt was his duty and what he truly wanted, than it revealed anything about his future plans. But she knew the others wouldn’t understand her feelings. Even after everything, she still loved and believed in him.

“If you need anything…” Cassandra said haltingly, “You will tell me? And I don't mean just if you need my sword. If you ever want to… talk, about Solas, or about anything, I will be here.”

Varithara looked up again, her surprise almost bringing a smile to her face. Cassandra was not the type to share her emotions easily. “Thank you, Cassandra. I'll keep that in mind. But first, I just want to get back to Skyhold and have a long bath.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Josephine said, her horse trotting up on the other side. “And I purchased a supply of premium bath salts from Val Royeaux. I’ve been dying to try them. They’re infused with Orlesian lavender and Antivan spices.” 

“Actually, that does sound amazing,” Varithara said. “I hope you're planning on sharing.”

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation about er… bathing,” Cullen interjected awkwardly, “but what are we planning to do once we get to Skyhold? We cannot stay there forever. If, as you believe, Solas built it, it will never be secure. Likely it is already riddled with his magic.” Varithara could hardly deny that. How many nights in the past two years had she walked the halls and ramparts just to feel the soothing remnants of his presence? The significance of it hadn't occurred to her then, but it was clear there were still traces of Fen’harel at Tarasylan’telas.

“I know we cannot stay. But there are still troops there that will need to be sent home or given new orders, and I know we could all use a rest. As for what comes after that, we’ll have to make inquiries. The obvious next step is Tevinter, but it is so obvious it seems foolish to go straight there. We have allies elsewhere we could call on, in Kirkwall, in Antiva, even my clan in Wycombe. But I think further discussion can wait until we arrive.”

“Of course, my La- er- Varithara,” he said, at a sharp look from Cassandra. “We’ll be at the inn in a few hours.”

Varithara nodded, but already her mind was wandering to the future. What was Solas planning? Would she be able to stop him, to turn him aside? She would do it, she vowed, if it took her last breath, she- 

There was a scream in the distance and her head shot upward. “Over there!” Cassandra shouted, pointing to a plume of smoke. They rode, not even hesitating, but as they got closer they beheld something… unexpected. The creatures attacking the farmhold looked a bit like demons, with their bony plated bodies and green molded armor, and their weapons were strange, held like Varric’s crossbow but firing beams of what could only be described as magic. Unlike demons, however, they moved with purpose and intelligence, speaking a harsh, guttural language as they dragged a screaming farmer into the distance.

They were strange, but there was no more time to wonder where they came from. Varithara slid from her mount and pulled her staff from her back. It was heavy and clumsy, too large for just one hand, but it was all she had. Cassandra ran into the fray with an angry scream, Cullen following behind, and Varithara cast Barrier over all of them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Josephine pull a dagger from her boot.

The creatures looked up, perhaps confused by their arrival, but only for a moment. They turned their weapons toward her and her friends, and the barrier held. She cast Stonefist, which knocked one of them down, and Cassandra leaped on them, cleaving the head from the body in one stroke. But that was all the luck they had. 

Another creature came from around the back of the farmhouse, and its weapon hurled hot little projectiles at a frenetic pace. The barrier rippled like a puddle in a rainstorm before collapsing, and before Varithara could even think about replacing it, three sharp bursts of pain struck her, shoulder, hip, and shin. She collapsed, from pain and shock, and she heard Cassandra screaming her name. Pushing herself up with one arm, she reached deep inside for healing magic but her vision was already wavering. It was no use. Her last conscious thought wondered if Solas would know what had happened to her, and if so, would he mourn, or celebrate?

***************************

“Why are we out here again?” Cora inquired, leaning against the far wall and failing entirely to appear casual. She was military through and through, even more so than Lyra’s own father had been. You would think the asari wouldn't be so uptight.

“We’re looking for some missing Angaran astronomy satellites,” she replied blandly. Lyra wasn't so full of herself that she minded the crew questioning her orders, and she supposed Cora might have more reason than most to wonder about her suitability. But after all the work they’d already put in, establishing colonies on Eos and Kadara, as well as gaining an alliance with the angara, she could manage a less patronizing tone. “The angaran scientist who’s looking for them makes maps of the Scourge. He promised to share his information if we find his satellites. I think it's a fair trade.”

Cora didn't reply. Lyra knew she was just impatient to go after the Archon, but there was no reason to rush. In her mind, it was best to be fully prepared for such a dangerous mission, and having a safe path through the Scourge would be worth the delay. “I’ve got an anomaly on the sensors,” the science officer said, cutting off her musings.

“Hopefully, this is what we're looking for. Launch the probe.”

“Probe away,” Suvi replied and they all watched on the view screen as the tiny projectile flew into the darkness and the results began to display. “Well, it isn't a satellite.”

“A kett ship, a big one,” Lyra said, chewing on her upper lip. “What are _you_ doing way out here?”

“According to my scans, this is some sort of research vessel,” said SAM, his artificial voice sounding through the com and in her ear. “There are human life signs aboard this ship.”

“We've had no reports about missing colonists,” Cora said. “They must be exiles.”

“Exiles or not, we can't let the kett experiment on them,” Lyra said. “If they figure out how to ‘exalt’ us, soon they'll be farming us like cattle.” She pursed her lips. “Jaal, Vetra, I need you in the cargo bay ready to roll in five. I'll brief you on the situation when you get there.”

“In five?” Jaal’s soothing lilt was curious. “In five what?”

“Minutes, Jaal. Five minutes,” Vetra answered in an exasperated tone, “I’m on my way, Pathfinder.”

“I will be there as well,” Jaal added. “I do not think it will take five minutes.”

“That's fine,” Lyra said, shaking her head. “Take us in, Kallo. They don't seem to have wised up to our stealth drive yet. Let's hope it stays that way.” Cora left the bridge ahead of her and Lyra could tell she was annoyed again, probably that she hadn't been chosen for the away team. It wasn't that she wasn’t capable, or an important part of the crew, Lyra just found her personally grating. Plus, Jaal had a lot more experience fighting Kett, and though Liam might have been valuable for his experience in hostage situations, Lyra found him to be too reckless for missions like this, where stealth was required. Vetra was more dependable, and both her and Jaal responded well to Lyra’s more casual leadership style. It was her preferred team for most standard missions, and the rest of the crew didn’t seem to mind. Only Cora took it as a personal slight, but it might have been a grudge leftover from Alec’s death. Cora was his second in command. By all rights she should have succeeded him as Pathfinder, but that wasn’t the choice Lyra’s father had made.

The Pathfinder pondered this only as long as it took her to get into her suit, and then she clanked out to the cargo bay where the others were already waiting. “All right guys, we’ve got ourselves a rescue mission.”

************************

Varithara woke with a gasp, her eyes darting all around. “Easy, easy,” said a voice, a woman's voice. “Do you know what happened to you?” Finally her eyes focused on the speaker, a fair, freckled face and a suit of beetle green armor. Behind her, two more figures, strange and inhuman, but not the same as the ones who'd captured her. Their postures did not seem to indicate hostility.

“We were fighting some creatures with… bony plates on their heads, and strange magic… I… who are you? Where are the others? My friends… I?”

“Settle down. You're safe for the moment. The aliens that attacked you are called the kett. I guess they've been doing experiments. We’ll find your friends, if they're alive. Can you fight? You’re uh… missing an arm. Did the kett do that or…?”

Varithara pursed her lips. “No… that was… someone else. I can fight… I think. Where's my staff?” She looked around, but it wasn't immediately apparent. Likely she'd dropped it when she fell. These kett, whatever they were, obviously wouldn't have wanted her to have a weapon. “I can still cast without it… but there isn't much magic here.” Her three rescuers looked at each other with expressions of disbelief, but seemed to collectively decide that it wasn't worth questioning.

“Well, it's no big deal. Just, stay behind us, and we’ll find your friends and take this place down,” said the human woman. Varithara got to her feet. Her muscles were weak and shaking, but after a few halting steps, she managed to walk without support.

“What is this place?” she asked, looking around at the strange metal walls and blinking lights.

“A kett research vessel, we think,” the woman said. “We were out here looking for something else but when we found out they'd taken prisoners, we had to intervene. The name’s Ryder, by the way. Lyra Ryder, and my friends are Vetra and Jaal.”

“I'm Varithara. I'd be pleased to meet you under different circumstances.” At this, the shorter of the woman’s companions, whose name was Jaal, chuckled. His voice was was deep and velvety, which surprised her somewhat, considering his appearance, which was like nothing she’d ever seen before. The only way she could describe him was… pink. 

“Pleasantries later. We've got hostiles on the way,” Vetra said. Varithara could guess what that meant. Her three rescuers took up defensive positions around her, and she cast Barrier. It was more difficult than usual and she could tell that her mana generation would be much slower, but it was the best she could do. The three others all had the same… crossbow… things that the kett had, and they had other powers as well, making short work of the kett almost before Varithara could even catch sight of them. 

“We’re clear,” Ryder said, bolstering her weapon. “Good job everybody. Varithara, you're a biotic? Your Barrier is different than what I'm used to.”

“Biotic? I don't know the word. I'm a mage, that's where we call it, where I'm from.”

“Where are you from, exactly?” Jaal asked, turning to her. “You look almost human, but not. You didn't come from the Milky Way with Ryder's people?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don't know where that is. I came from the Free Marches, originally.”

“Is that what you're planet is called?” Ryder asked. “Never heard of it.”

“Planet?” It wasn't a word that meant anything to her.

“Is it possible that you are from a pre-space-flight culture?” Jaal asked, his tone curious, almost excited, she thought. Varithara had no idea what he was talking about. Ryder shook her head.

“If that's the case, you're in for a big shock. But right now, we’ve got a ship to search, so let's save this conversation for later.” For the next hour, it was more of the same, running from room to room, killing kett, and searching for clues and then….

“There they are!” Varithara said, pointing to a group of prisoners in a cell below her. 

“Just a minute. SAM, can you bypass the locks?” Every once in a while, Ryder would speak into the air as if addressing an invisible person. No one else seemed to find it strange, and nearly every time she did so, something happened in the world. Was this some new and terrifyingly powerful deity? “The door should be open now.”

Vetra approached, the strange orange glow appearing on her arm. She pressed a few buttons and the door slid open with a hiss. Cassandra jumped to her feet.

“Get back, demon,” she said, raising her fists. Varithara couldn't help but grin as she pushed past Vetra. 

“Cassandra, it’s me. These people are helping us escape.” Josephine and Cullen started at the sound of her voice, and Cassandra lowered her hands, slowly.

“Varithara? Is it really you? Everything is so strange. I thought we were in the Fade…”

“No, I don't think so,” Varithara said. “It is really weird here, but my magic is a lot weaker. In the Fade, I was more powerful.”

Cullen’s brow furrowed. “I hadn't thought about it, but I think you're right, Even without lyrium, this place doesn't feel magical at all. It's almost… too real.” As before, Ryder, Jaal and Vetra seemed befuddled by the mention of magic, but they didn't say anything.

“If you say so,” Cassandra said, her mouth a thin line. “Who are your friends, then?”

“Jaal, Vetra, and Ryder,” she said, pointing out each of their companions. “Those things that captured us, I guess they're called the kett.”

“I thought they were a new kind of darkspawn or demon. I suppose I'm relieved to find that isn't the case,” Cassandra said.

“I am not. With everything we already have to deal with, the last thing we need is a new enemy,” Cullen said as he stood up.

“I have to agree, but either way, our first order of business is to escape from this place.” Josephine brushed the dirt from her clothes and smiled. “I am pleased to meet you, in any case. My name is Josephine Montilyet, this is Cassandra Pentaghast, and Cullen Rutherford.”

“Great, but let's finish the introductions later,” Ryder said. “We need to get off this ship. SAM, can we sabotage this thing from the console in the other room?” Once again she seemed to listen for an answer that Varithara couldn't hear. “We’ll make a stop by the engine room; it's on the way out.” She looked over all of them, brow furrowed, and nodded to herself. “I'll take point. Vetra, you bring up the rear. You four,” she indicated Varithara and her friends with a finger, “Try to stay out of the line of fire.”

No one argued, though Cassandra scowled. Of course, they wanted to fight, but now none of them even had weapons. It was best to stay out of the way. Varithara wasn't even sure she had another Barrier in her.  
They met resistance on the way to the engine room, whatever that was, but not as fierce as might have been expected. Perhaps Ryder and her group had already killed most of the kett. What Varithara feared was that they might be setting up an ambush. The engine room was full of blinking lights and humming; it was obviously some sort of giant machine. Ryder sat down at what appeared to be the controls and got to work.

“What is all this?” Josephine asked, peering down at one of the objects that was covered in glowing symbols.

“You really don't have tech like this on your world?” Vetra said incredulously, one eye still trained on the door.

“Tech? What is tech? I thought this looked a bit like some of the older rune enchantments I've seen, but it's not in any language I recognize.” Vetra tilted her head in what Varithara thought was a quizzical manner.

“All right,” Ryder exclaimed. “Time to get off this ship before the explosions.” Everyone's eyes went wide, and then Jaal laughed.

“Ryder, sometimes I get the feeling you enjoy explosions.” They ran down the corridors, weapons blazing, but never pausing to engage with the Kett that now swarmed out of every corridor and doorway.

“I need all of you to come out to help with our guests, since they don't have helmets or mag boots,” Ryder shouted. Of course, it was all meaningless to Varithara, and she was too busy ducking under cover to care. She managed one last barrier, as the sounds from their weapons rang through the corridors like whizzing thunderclaps, and then a door opened in front of them, revealing a group of people with arms outstretched. 

At least, some of them were people. A man, his brown face partly obscured by his helmet, scooped up Josephine in his arms, and ran back down the hall. “Come with me,” Jaal said, and he lifted Varithara more easily than she might have expected and followed after Josephine at a surprising pace. Another door hissed open, and a strong wind pulled at them. Above her, all around her, was the star flecked void. Varithara wanted to scream, but she couldn't draw a breath. Her fingers gripped Jaal’s clothes with white-knuckled intensity, and then they were running upward, into another chamber and through a door. 

“You can let go now. It is safe,” he said, his deep voice calm and soothing. Her knuckles cracked as she released her hold, but she still couldn't make herself speak. He let her down to the ground gently, but her knees buckled under her. “That is not good.” It was the last thing she heard before her vision went dark.


	2. Attachment and Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solas receives the news that Varithara has gone missing and is presumed dead. Cole offers to help. On the Tempest, Varithara awakes to a new and strange universe.

Solas stood at the top of a tower, leaning against a stone archway and gazing out over the endless sea of stinging grass that protected the Sanctuary from outsiders. Not that it was needed, now. He'd never discovered where in the physical world this lay, after the sundering of the Fade, but wherever it was, it was far enough from civilization that no one had ever seen so much as a lone traveler in the distance. But he was not thinking about that at the moment. 

It had been almost a week since he'd seen Varithara in the Fade. She had hunted him nearly every night since the day he'd left her in front of the eluvian, possibly the worst day in his millennia of living. It had been horrible, the destruction and loss at the moment he raised the Veil, but he had experienced it only secondhand. The act had nearly cost his life, and by the time he was aware of the outside world again, the sharpness of the initial anguish had passed from the world. 

But seeing Varithara again, the metaphorical gut-punch of the realization that no, his love for her had not faded one iota in two years of separation and the even worse knowledge that her love remained equally intact even knowing his true identity, and then taking her arm and leaving her; that had been a sorrow deep, personal, and wrenching. Worse even than breaking off their relationship in Crestwood because it only proved that he could have told her all, as he had planned, and she would not have recoiled. She had offered to come with him, to help him, even after everything he had done. Sometimes, he thought he should have taken her up on that offer.

The truth was that he feared her as much as he loved her. Not her power or her magic, thought both were formidable. He feared her love and devotion could turn him from the path he was fated to travel. Therefore, he should have been relieved that she no longer pursued him through his dreams because it must mean that she had given up. He would no longer have to guard his heart against her intrusion. But Solas knew Varithara well, better, perhaps, than he had ever known anyone. She would never give up, so something must have happened to her, and his mind raced with fear at the thought. But he had to hold in his worry because his people could not know how much he still cared for her. They believed he would lead them to a new age of freedom for the Elvhen people; there was no room for doubt, for them, or for himself. 

“My Lord.” He was practiced enough to not show how startled he'd been by the intrusion, and he drew himself up and turned to face the scout who'd entered the tower, inclining his head to indicate that he should continue. “I have news about Lady Lavellan.” 

Solas fought to keep his face impassive and his breathing steady. “Very well. What do you have to report?”

“Our contact in Skyhold reports that she is overdue to arrive, and was last seen on the road through the northern Dales. Scouts there report unusual activity and clashes with unknown, possibly demonic forces. Yesterday, remains of a skirmish just off the road were discovered next to a recently burned cottage. This was found on the ground nearby.” From behind his back he produced a stout staff of ash, carved all over with runes, a brace of silver bells and feathers hanging from one end. Solas received it into his hands with a sort of detached numbness.

Of course he recognized it. How many times had he seen her wield it in battle? It was her favorite staff, polished and upgraded and re-enchanted until it hummed with magic, hers and his, because he had carved some of those runes himself. His fingers closed over it reflexively. “Thank you. You may go,” he said, hoping his voice wasn't shaking. He turned back to the archway before any further questions could disturb him. Footsteps disappeared down the steps, and Solas put a hand over his face as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, taking one shuddering breath. He should be relieved to have one of the greatest obstacles to his goals removed, but he felt only a deep, echoing emptiness.

“She isn't gone,” whispered a soft, childish voice. “The thread isn't broken, only stretched.” His head jerked up.

“Cole. What are you doing here?” he asked, though he knew the answer. He was sure Varithara had asked their friend to keep an eye on him. Not because Cole would be a good spy; he was far too strange and innocent to provide information, but because she thought he might help Solas with his more existential problems. In short, to comfort him, even though she must have needed it just as much, if not more.

“She has her friends. You are alone. She worries. He carries so much weight on his shoulders, so much sorrow. If only he would let me share this burden. He's such an ass.” the spirit-boy said, his voice taking on the Inquisitor’s familiar cadence as he manifested on the ledge overlooking the valley below. 

“Varithara is… “ Solas swallowed. “You do not believe she is dead. How can you be sure?”

“There's a thread that goes from you to her and back. It didn't break, so she must be on the other end.” Never mind that he had no idea what Cole was talking about, there was hope in those words.

“Where does it lead? Can you find her?” he asked, his fingers tightening on the staff.

“I think I can. But you have to let me in,” Cole answered. For Solas, there was only a moment of hesitation. He had been wary of letting Cole see his plans, for fear that he would tell Varithara something important, and though he wouldn't have liked to admit it, he also was reluctant to share his pain with the spirit. He'd been carrying those hurts so long, he wasn't sure who he would be without them. But to save her life…  
He let out a long breath. “Very well. But you must be cautious. Tangling yourself too deeply in my thoughts and fears may twist your nature beyond repair.”

“I'll be careful,” Cole said, placing chilly fingers on Solas’s temples. “But I’m not afraid to change.”

********************

Her dreams were strange. As a mage, Varithara was accustomed to vivid dreams, but this was not the Fade she was used to traveling. It was sharp and bright, almost too clear, yet somehow less real. She floated in a dark space, and endless streams of glowing symbols flowed around her. It felt like being trapped in the pages of some strange magical tome. There was definitely power here, magic of a flavor she had never tasted before. She reached out a hand to one of the lines of glittering text and a jolt of something shocked her fingers, like the sparks that jumped from halla fur in the winter. She yanked her hand back, more startled than hurt. Her fingertips glowed.

“Varithara… Where are you?” called a voice. It was familiar, so familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. But it was a friendly voice, someone she trusted.

“Here, I’m here!” she called, spinning in all directions in an attempt to find the source of the voice. 

“Where are you? I can’t see you…” said the voice, fading now.

“I’m here! Don’t go,” she shouted, but the sun seemed to be rising. The luminous letters were being drowned out by the red glow of dawn and then… she opened her eyes into blinding white, sucking in a breath. 

“Stay calm, everything is all right,” said a gentle, feminine voice. Varithara blinked a few times to help her vision clear. The ceiling above her was smooth and gray, and white tubes gave off harsh, clear light. 

“Where am I?” she asked, struggling to sit up. A hand supported her back and when she saw who the hand belonged to, she had to shut her mouth to prevent a startled exclamation. They- She? was blue. Her skin was the color of a robin’s egg or an autumn sky, with subtle markings in a slightly darker shade. Their facial features were feminine, but in the place of hair they had thick fleshy appendages that sloped back against their neck. 

“You're aboard the Tempest, in the medical bay. Do you not remember how you got here?” Though the wording was strange to her, Varithara surmised that the Tempest was a ship, and that she was in some sort of healing clinic. Her memories from before were hazy and nonsensical, bleeding into her dreams.

“We were on the road, and saw some farmers being attacked by something,’ she began, eyes narrowed. That all seemed normal, but the more she replayed the incident the more alarming it became. “There were some creatures… I'd never seen anything like them before. I was wounded. I guess I was captured…” She’d been unconscious for a while after that, she knew, but now she realized the truth. “I thought I'd been dreaming… but all of those other things, the kett, Vetra and Jaal, the explosions… they were all real.”

The blue person, who must have been the healer, nodded. “The Pathfinder, Lyra Ryder, rescued you and your companions from a kett research vessel. She seems to think…” and here the healer paused, as if she could hardly believe what she was saying, “She thinks you come from a pre-spaceflight culture.”

“Jaal said that before,” Varithara murmured, remembering the pink person with the voice that reminded her of warm chocolate. “I'm not sure what that means.”

The healer’s eyebrows flicked upward. “Where you come from, are there no ships that carry people into the air? Into the stars?” Varithara laughed because it sounded ridiculous. A children’s tale. But then, an image flashed before her eyes, the star-flecked void surrounding her as the breath fled her lungs. She swallowed.

“That's where we are right now, a ship… up in the sky?” she asked, shivering. The healer nodded. “Where I come from… we don't have anything like that.”

“This must all be quite shocking for you, then. Your name is Varithara? Is that correct?”

“Yes,” she replied haltingly. One of the others must've told her, she supposed. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lexi T’Perro. I’m the ship’s doctor,” she replied. “My people are called the Asari.” Varithara nodded, clasping her hands together. Everything was new and her head was spinning. That was probably why it took several seconds for her to realize where the vague feeling of something being out of place originated. 

Her fingers were laced together. The fingers of both of her hands, though one hand was stiff and slightly numb, it was there. She gaped. “What happened to my…?”

“Your arm? We've equipped you with a biosynthetic prosthesis using a neural implant, for now, but I believe we’ll be able to create a more realistic replacement once I've finished sequencing your DNA… I suppose you wouldn't understand any of this, would you?” Lexi said, trailing off. “We've used advanced medical techniques to repair your amputated limb, but we might have a better one for you in a week or so.” 

Varithara stared at the arm, disbelieving. Her fingers moved just as they had before… well, perhaps they responded a fraction more slowly, but her hand, wrist, and elbow retained the whole range of motion, as far as she could tell. It was far better than any of the prosthetics Leiliana had been able to discover. She knew she should be happy, thrilled, even, but all she felt was a wrenching sense of loss. Tears streamed down her cheeks; she couldn't have stemmed the flow even if she wanted to.

“I know you've been through a great deal,” Lexi said. “Would you like me to call your companions? I'm sure they'd be eager to see you.”

Varithara considered this, but shook her head. The comfort she most wanted was unavailable. Even more so than it had been, and she felt foolish for wanting it. “I think I just need a moment alone.” The door hissed open.

“Lexi, I was wondering…” Jaal started to say, but when he saw Varithara, he froze. “Oh, I apologize. I thought you were already up.”

She wiped her face as Lexi tactfully stepped between them. “She’s having a bit of difficulty adjusting, which is understandable. If it's not an emergency, could you send me an extranet message?”

“I was only curious about something. It can wait,” he said, but he turned back to Varithara. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.” His eyes were large and silver-blue, almost cat-like, and still they radiated warmth.

“Thank you,” she found herself saying. “I'll keep that in mind.” Lexi ran several tests on her arm and afterward led her to the the cargo bay, where Cassandra, Josephine, and Cullen were waiting. It was a relief to see that they were all right, and Varithara knew they had a lot to talk about, decisions to make, but she was still too shaken to be of any help. After a while, she said she was tired, and she laid on a cot, huddled in a blanket with her back to the room, shutting out the world and how much larger and more terrifying it had suddenly become. 

She must've have fallen asleep at some point; when she opened her eyes, the light was a bit dimmer, and the ship was quiet but for a subtle humming sound. Looking around, she could see the forms of her friends asleep in their own cots. She sighed, drawing the blanket around her shoulders, and then a muffled clank followed by a curse sounded from across the room. A pale blue glimmer of light shone from some sort of large machine. It reminded her of the dream she'd had earlier, and drawn to find out more, she tiptoed toward it. Her clothes had been changed to something light and comfortable, and the boots made no sound when she stepped. 

As she neared the pale and mysterious object, the light suddenly shone on her face, and then flicked off with the sound of a quickly indrawn breath. “You startled me,” Jaal said. The light had been shining from the blue glass covering his right eye. “I apologize if I woke you.” 

“No,” she said. “I saw your light. I suppose I was curious.”

Jaal smiled. It was funny, she thought, that a being so different from her could have such recognizable facial expressions. “You seem to be feeling better. Lexi said you were troubled by your prosthesis… your arm.”

She looked down at the offending limb, not sure how to answer. “I… I never thought I'd have two hands again. Not like this. Everything that's happened… It feels unreal. Too easy.” She exhaled sharply, annoyed at her lack of eloquence and her unruly emotions. “After what happened when I… lost my arm. To have it replaced, just like that, it's like it erased everything I went through.”

Jaal nodded, thoughtful. “You feel the injury was a badge of honor, something earned through hardship, and now it has been snatched away.”

“Something like that,” she said, uncomfortable at how both near to the mark and yet far off his guess had come.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I don't mean to pry. My people are very… open, with our emotions. Sometimes I forget that other species are not.”

“No… it's fine. It's just… I didn't lose my arm in battle. Not really. It would take too long to explain. It involved someone I was close to, and the memory is still… painful.”

Despite how little she knew about him, she could tell her description had only served to make him more curious rather than less. “Hmmm. Another time, perhaps. Is there something else you'd like to talk about?A question you would like answered?”

Varithara blinked. “I wouldn't even know where to start. There's so much here I don't understand.”

“I too felt out of place, when I first joined the Pathfinder’s team. Everyone has been… accommodating. Though I suppose you have much more to get used to. I have been to space before, after all.”

“Space…” she mused. It was a strange word to use, at least in the way she understood it. “Is that what you call this?” she asked, throwing her arms out. “Not the ship, I mean… the stars? Lexi said we're up in the sky?”

“That's one way of putting it,” he said with a gentle chuckle. “Would you like to see?”

Varithara shivered at the memory of the cold, vast darkness. “We aren't going out there again, are we?”

“No,” he replied. “That was an emergency. I thought we'd look out a window.” He led her through a door and up a curved ramp into a room with a large table in the center and a domed roof of glass. There were the stars, millions of them, more than she'd ever seen before.

“Every star you can see is the sun for its own group of planets. A planet is what we call the worlds that people live on. Space is everything in between.” Varithara stared, trying to wrap her head around it.

“So… one of those stars is the sun for my… planet. Wherever it is,” she said finally. “There's so many. How will we ever find our way home?” There was a hint of temptation in it. Thedas and its problems were unimaginably far away. No one would blame them. No doubt they were already assumed dead. But she thought of Solas, alone in some ancient fastness of the Elvhen, and felt cold. If anyone could help her stop him, it was these people, with their amazing, inexplicable powers. Seeing this, these millions upon millions of worlds, surely it would change him, and out here, his magic would be greatly weakened. She could feel only a whisper of power in the air, too faint for even a tiny fireball.

“It is possible the Pathfinder downloaded navigation data from the ship that captured you,” Jaal said. “SAM?” Varithara recognized the name as the one Lyra had called out when she wanted something to happen. Did this invisible person answer Jaal as well?

“I’m afraid not,” said a voice, to Varithara’s ears weirdly flat and genderless. “There was not enough time to get more than cursory data about the ship’s movements. And considering that it had docking space for many smaller vessels, that information may not have been useful.”

“It was worth a try,” Jaal said sadly. “I’m sure there is something else we can do to find your world, Varithara. Am I saying your name correctly?”

“Yes,” she replied. His pronunciation was halting, but she was too distracted to pay it much mind, “But who is that? Sam? Where are they?”

“My apologies,” said the disembodied voice. “I am SAM, which stands for Simulated Adaptive Matrix. I am an artificial intelligence. I interface with the ship and the Pathfinder to provide strategic support and various other functions.”

Jaal must’ve noticed the blank look on her face. “SAM is a… machine who is designed to think for himself. He is connected to the ship and to Lyra primarily, but everyone on the crew can communicate with him as well.”

It sounded crazy and not a little frightening. A machine that could reason? It was so far beyond what she could imagine that she could only shake her head in wonder. “I am aware that you have no frame of reference for me or my capabilities. However, if you ever have need of assistance or information, all you need to do is address me as if I was a person in the room. I have access to all current knowledge of the Heleus cluster. That is the part of space in which we currently reside.” SAM said.

“So, you’re watching… everywhere, all the time,” Varithara said, with a mixture of awe and horror. It was like what the humans said about the Maker, only SAM would actually speak back. She didn’t know if that was better or worse.

“Everywhere on the ship,” SAM amended. “I am linked into the security cameras, but I do not generally pay much attention to them unless I’m being spoken to.” She knew this was an attempt to comfort her, but considering she had no idea what a security camera was...

“SAM does take some getting used to,” Jaal admitted. “But he has been helpful so far. I choose to believe he has our best interests at heart.”

“On that note, there may be another way we can pinpoint the location of Varithara’s homeward. Judging by her DNA, we can guess that it a carbon-rich planet with an earth-like atmosphere. If you can answer some question about your planet, I may be able to narrow the field further.”

She only understood about half of that sentence, but it was enough. “I’ll tell you whatever I can,” she agreed. Over the table in the center, an image came to life, a series of many interconnected points.

“These are all the known stars in the Heleus cluster. For now, I will assume that this is the limit of our search,” SAM said. “Since not all systems have been scanned for planetary bodies, we will assume, at this point, that any star is a candidate. Now, Varithara, what color is your sun, and what color is the sky of your world?”

“The sun is yellow… yellowish-white, I guess, and orange at sunset. The sky is blue, for the most part.” It was strange to imagine that this wasn’t the default.

“A G or F type star, then, and an atmosphere quite similar to earth.” Many of the dots on the map disappeared, but there were still hundreds. “Do you measure the length of a year?”

The Dalish did not count the days in the same way that the humans did. The seasons were marked by the stars and the cycles of the natural world, not by tally marks on a page. But Josephine had taught her the Andrastian calendar, and with some difficulty, she brought it to mind.

“There are twelve months in a year. Thirty days each,” she answered. 

“360 days,” SAM noted. “The resemblance between your world and Earth is striking. I am surprised it was not one of the worlds the Andromeda Initiative prioritized.”

“Earth is the planet from which Lyra’s people initially came. They are travelers, new to this part of space,” Jall explained. “I find it odd as well, especially considering that Varithara’s companions seem to be human by every definition. It implies some sort of prior connection. Perhaps someone in the Andromeda Initiative was aware of that, and overlooked the planet to avoid uncomfortable questions.” Even though Varithara didn’t know half of what they were talking about, what she did understand gave her a chill.

“If so, I am not yet aware of it,” SAM said. “There are no known planets that match this description, but over a hundred unscanned systems that could be the one we are searching for.”

“Too many to send probes to all of them,” Jaal muttered. “Surely there is some way to narrow the search further.” Varithara stared at the expanse of stars above her, fathomlessly vast, so different from the stars she had often gazed at back home. The Dalish often used the stars to guide their travels, and she remembered nights spent sitting with the Keeper, learning the constellations until she knew them by heart. Other nights came to mind, sitting with Solas on the crest of a dune in the Hissing Wastes, bundled together against the cold. She shook her head to clear the thought, and then an idea came to her.

“Could we use the stars? If every star is the sun of a different world, the night sky should look different on every one. I could tell you what the sky looks like,” she said, not sure where to point her face when speaking to an invisible entity. 

“It is possible,” SAM said. “Especially if you can describe the seasonal movement of particularly noteworthy astronomical bodies. The extent to which you can see the galactic arm would be enormously helpful.”

Varithara sat down with a piece of paper and a writing implement she was told was a pencil and began to make notes. Jaal brought her food which was surprisingly recognizable as such, and when Cassandra, Josephine and Cullen awoke, they made their own additions. Josephine was especially helpful; As the leader of a merchant house, she knew quite a bit about mapmaking and navigation and drew a map of Thedas that linked the memories each of them had of the sky to the locations in the world.

Liam, one of the other crew members of the Tempest, came up to see what they were doing, and looked over their map with evident interest. “So, you all live in the southern hemisphere of your planet, and you’ve never had contact with any other continent?”

“Unless you would consider Par Vollen to be another continent, no,” Cullen said, tapping the island chain far to the north of Thedas.

“Not entirely true,” Josephine interjected. “We got that one message, after we traced those strange symbols marking our cargo shipments. From the people across the sea.”

“Well, that could’ve been anyone. There’s no guarantee it was actually from across the sea.”

“The elves have always said we came from the north though, fleeing some calamity. We found out the Avar have a similar myth,” Varithara said, and then a chime sounded throughout the ship.

“The Pathfinder is now aboard,” SAM said. Everyone at the table straightened as they heard the sound of footsteps clanking up the ramp.

“Looks like you guys are having a meeting without me,” Lyra said with an easy grin. Her armor was covered in reddish-gold dust, as were that of Vetra, and a huge creature that Varithara hadn’t seen before. 

“Varithara and her companions are giving me information about the sky in their world, in hopes that I will be able to pinpoint the location of their home planet,” SAM said.

“That is a good idea,” Lyra said. “I was planning on asking you guys what you wanted to do. I mean, you’re welcome to come to the Nexus, but it’ll be a bit of a culture shock. On the other hand, if your planet is being targeted by the kett, you might want some help.”

Varithara sighed out a breath. She’d planned on discussing this with the others first, but now that they were on the subject. “There’s something else I was hoping you would help us with. The kett are a problem, but Thedas has a lot of problems right now, and one in particular is something you might be able to solve much more easily than me.” Cassandra looked over at her in confusion, but she pressed on. “There is someone in our world that we need to find. We were already working on that, and maybe you could make it go a little faster. But once he’s found, I think it would be safer, better for everyone, if he was brought here, to space.”

Cassandra frowned. “Varithara, I know you want to find him, but Solas is a powerful mage. The most powerful I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure how bringing him here would help.”

“There is no magic here,” Varithara said flatly. “Or so little that trying to cast is pointless. My mana has hardly replenished at all from our last battle, even though I’ve been asleep for days. Up here, he would just be an elf.”

“I think Varithara is on to something,” Cullen said. “She’s right about the magic, but more than that, just look at all this.” He gestured upward to the stars. “If this doesn’t change his perspective about things, nothing will.”

Lyra put her hands up for quiet. “I’m not opposed to helping, with the kett or whatever, but I need more info. Who is this guy? Why is he so important? You’re talking about him like he’s a bomb that’s about to go off. And I meant to ask before, about magic. Is that just a different kind of biotics?”

“Solas is my… he’s our friend,” Varithara said, with pointed looks at the others. “But he is dangerous, right now, and he’s gone down a path that could lead to terrible consequences for everyone in Thedas. We can explain more, but it’s quite a long story.”

Lyra nodded. “Those of us who were on the away team definitely need a chance to clean up and have a meal. Let’s agree to meet up here in two hours or so. The rest of you can do whatever you want, but maybe Liam wants to lead our visitors on a tour of the ship, such as it is. They’re going to be here for a bit, so they may as well meet everyone else.”

“I’d be up for that,” Liam said, his smile cheerful. “Guess you guys have already seen the meeting room. If you follow me back down the ramp, we’ll be in the research room.” Cassandra, Josephine, and Cullen walked after Liam with varying levels of interest. Varithara stood, stretching her spine and yawning. Seeing as she’d got up in the middle of the night, it was going to be a long day.

“So, this Solas,” Jaal said. “He is the one you remember when you speak of your arm. It sounds like a complicated situation. I am surprised you decided to discuss it with the Pathfinder so soon.”

She sighed, hugging herself. “The help I need from Ryder has nothing to do with... that. He removed my arm to save my life, but that’s not why the memory is painful. Whatever my feelings, he has to be stopped, and I’ll take any help I can get.”

“I see. I hope that we can help you and your world. Ryder has done much to aid my people. For all her words of caution, I believe she will do whatever she can.”

“Thank you, Jaal,” Varithara replied. “For everything you’ve done.”

He nodded. “I admit that I am curious about you. You come from a culture I can hardly imagine, yet you are, in many ways, not so different from one of my own people. I found Ryder surprising, but her species has been faring the stars for just as long as the angara. I thought perhaps the similarities were inevitable. But you and your friends suggest something else. A common thread among all life in the universe that is both comforting and perplexing. I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m ever bothersome with my questions.”

Varithara smiled. “Believe me, I’ve had the same questions, and worse, from everyone I know, and plenty of people I don’t,” she said, thinking of the council she’d just departed… two weeks ago, a lifetime. “I’d better get on with the tour. The last thing I need is to get lost.”

“True,” he said. “I have no need of a tour, but if you ever wish to speak to me, I am often in the Tech Lab. SAM can also tell you the location of any of the crew.” She nodded and they both went down the ramp. Jaal turned back to the Cargo Bay, and Varithara hurried after Liam and her friends, who were looking in a room that he called the Bio Lab. Another member of the crew, a blond woman with a crisp demeanor, was watering some plants on racks. 

“So, you’re the ones Ryder rescued from that kett ship. Welcome to the Tempest, I suppose. The name’s Cora Harper.” They all introduced themselves, but Varithara got the sense that Cora wasn’t in the mood for conversation. The tour continued. The tech lab was full of strange objects, none of which meant anything to the Thedosians, until Josephine pointed to a glowing hunk of metal lying on a chamber.

“Do you know where this came from? It looks… oddly familiar.” 

“Oh, that’s Remnant technology. I guess there must be Remnant on your world too. They’ve been everywhere else in the cluster,” Liam said. Varithara and Cassandra leaned in closer, turning to each other almost at once.

“Does this remind you of something?” Cassandra said, her eyes narrowed.

“Yes,” Varithara said, pursing her lips. “It looks a lot like the things we found in the Deep Roads. That writing is almost identical to those old dwarven inscriptions.”

“Do you mean you can read that stuff?” Liam asked, his eyebrows raised.

“No,” Varithara said. “But we know people who can. I don’t know what you mean by Remnant, but on our world, this is an archaic form of a language spoken by living people. I don’t understand how dwarven artifacts could end up on other worlds. Their technology used to be better than it is now, but I think some history would have recorded them traveling space.”

“That is a startling piece of information,” SAM interjected. “We believed the civilization that created the Remnant technology was long dead. Your world may provide answers that we have been searching for. Perhaps that is why the kett are interested in your planet.”

“That’s definitely extra motivation to find your homeworld quickly,” Liam said. “Wait till Ryder hears about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I've got a lot of other projects right now. Also I made a playlist. It's mostly for me to write to, but if you want to check it out, you're welcome to it. Thanks for reading and especially for commenting. If you like my work please check out my writing tumblr, kitswritingdesk
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/mizukitsune-us/playlist/6g8nTm2EKB9JU9Di26HZ0N

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this story came from this video https://youtu.be/q_zYk8orKVE by the very talented Tumblr user lethallantv so thanks to them, and to Tress for her always awesome advice. I hope you like what I came up with.


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